Integrated Temperature-Humidity Sensors for a Pouch-Type Battery Using 100% Printing Process.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Sensor Technology

Background:

• Lithium-ion battery performance, stability, and lifespan are temperature-dependent.
• Electric vehicles require robust temperature and humidity monitoring to prevent battery failure.
• Existing sensors face challenges with leakage and short circuits in demanding environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate an integrated humidity and temperature sensor directly onto pouch-type battery films.
• To evaluate the performance of a novel sensor for enhanced battery management systems.
• To improve the safety and efficiency of lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles.

Main Methods:

• Screen-printing of interdigitated electrode (IDE) patterns on pouch film.
• Dispenser printing of silver-nanofiber composite (Ag-CNF) for humidity sensing (capacitance-based).
• Dispenser printing of PEDOT:PSS for temperature sensing (resistance-based).
• Integration and performance testing of the dual-sensing electrode.

Main Results:

• The integrated sensor demonstrated a resistance change (ΔR ≈ 0.14) across a 20 °C to 100 °C temperature range.
• The sensor showed a capacitance change (ΔC ≈ 2.8) with relative humidity variations from 20% RH to 80% RH at 20 °C.
• Successful integration of humidity and temperature sensing functionalities into a single unit.

Conclusions:

• A novel, integrated humidity and temperature sensor has been successfully fabricated on pouch film.
• The sensor exhibits reliable responses to both temperature and humidity fluctuations.
• This technology is poised to enhance monitoring capabilities in pouch-type lithium-ion batteries, improving safety and longevity.